Delegation from Re-Planet England Visits CATIE to Strengthen Collaboration in Tropical Forest and Mangrove Restoration

• The visit focused on learning about research experiences and establishing collaborations for the conservation of natural resources in Latin America and the Caribbean.

February 7, 2024. In an initiative aimed at strengthening international collaboration in the conservation of natural resources, a delegation from the organization Re-Planet from the England visited CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) on February 6th. The main purpose of this visit was to learn about research experiences in forest restoration and forest seed management at the Center's Forest Seed Bank.

The delegation, comprised of Alex Tozer, operations director; Alex Batista, data analyst; Fredy Harvey, biodiversity and community development coordinator; and Roberto Downing, operations director for Latin America, held meetings with CATIE specialists, including Róger Villalobos and Lenin Corrales from the Climate Action Unit, and Leonel Coto from the Forests and Biodiversity Unit.

During their stay, various activities took place, including meetings to discuss forest and mangrove restoration projects, as well as visits to CATIE's Forest Seed Bank and forest restoration trials on the Center's campus.

Key topics addressed during the visit included the potential role of CATIE as a technical arm in restoration projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, in both tropical forests and mangroves. Specific collaboration projects were also explored, such as CATIE's participation in the Model Forest Network for tropical restoration projects and a pilot mangrove restoration project in Costa Rica.

This visit is expected to contribute to strengthening ties between Re-Planet and CATIE in terms of research, education, and sustainable development. The joint framework includes research actions in forest restoration, as well as support for graduate students in this field.